Gallows.



'aom l-a PATENTED 001 24, 1905. Gr. B. DAVIS. GALLOWS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 8,1905.

ITE STATES PATENT OFFIC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed June 8,1905. Serial No. 264,343.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gallows, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in gallows; and the invention has for its object to provide a novel form of gallows which will relieve the hangman of the responsibility heretofore incurred by the actuating means, to cause the life of a person being hung to be extinguished.

Another object of this invention is to provide a gallows which can be readily constructed upon the ground, not necessitating an elevated structure. To this end, I employ novel mechanism for elevating a person and retaining him in an elevated position until life is extinct.

In connection with my improved gallows I employ clock mechanism for automatically releasing the mechanism for elevating a person to be hung, and the construction entering into my invention will be hereinafter more fully described and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings accompanying this application, Figure 1 is afront elevation of my improved gallows. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of a cross-beam forming a part of the gallows. Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of the gallows. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the resilient noose, and Figs.6 and 7 are detail views of levers employed in connection with my improved mechanism.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

To put my invention into practice I preferably construct my improved gallows upon a suitable foundation, as a base 1, and upon the sides of the base I arrange standards 2 2,which support a cross-beam 3. The standards 2 2 are further supported by angular braces 4. 4.. The cross-beam 3 is provided with depending brackets 5 5, between which is pivotally mounted an arm 6, and the ends of this arm are oppositely curved, as indicated at 7 and 8. The rear curved end 7 of the arm 6 is connected by a link 9 to a cross-bar 10, which is connected by a spring 11 to the base or foundation 1. I preferably provide the link notched end 15,and engaging with said notched end is the notched end 16 of a pivotallymounted lever 17. The top edge of the arm 6 is provided with notches 18, in one of which the pivoted latch 14 is adapted to engage.

The forward end 19 of the lever 16 is retained in an elevated position by a horizontally-disposed arm 20, which is pivoted to the underneath face of the beam 8, as indicated at 21, said arm being guided in its movement by a strap 22. The one end of the arm 20 is connected to a spring 23, which is connected to one of the standards 2. The opposite end of the arm 20 is connected to a cable 24, that passes over a pulley 25, carried by one of the standards 2, and has its upper end connected to an arm 26, which is actuated at predetermined times by a conventional form of clock mechanism mounted within the casing27, carried by the beam. I may employ the ordinary form of clock mechanism generally used in connection with the alarm-clocks, and

therefore do not care to be confined to the use of any specific form of clock mechanism.

The arm 6 upon its upper side is provided with eyelets 28 2-8, in which are connected the ends of a cable 29, that passes over a pulley 30, journaled upon the top of the beam 3. This cable is employed to steady the arm 6 in its movement and release either end of the arm from any strain exerted upon it when in operation. The forward curved end 8 of the arm 6 is provided with a link 31, to which is attached a rod 32, a portion of which is formed into a resilient spring 33, while the end of the rod terminates in a hook-shaped end 34:. The rod 32 carries a yoke or frame 35, which embraces the spring portion 33 of the rod and guides the lower hook-shaped end 3 1 in its movement. The link 31 is also provided with a rod 36, having a hook-shaped end 37.

Operation: When the gallows is to be used,

the latch 1 1 is placed in engagement with the arm 6 and retained in this position by the lever 17 and arm 20, said arm being retained in engagement with the lever 17 by the clock mechanism. When the latch 14L is in engagement with the arm'6 and locked in such position, the forward curved end 8 of the arm will be locked, whereby the hangmans noose can be readily attached either to the hookshaped end 34 of the rod 32 or the hookshaped end 37 of the rod 36. Ihave employed both of these rods, as in some instances it may be desired to either hang the person by strangulation or by breaking his neck, the resilient noose illustrated in Fig. 5 being employed to relieve a sudden and jerky movement occasioned by the release of the arm 6, which would cause the person to be hung to die by strangulation, while if the rod 86 were used the sudden jerky movement occasioned by releasing the arm 6 would tend to break the persons neck. When the arm 6 has been secured in the proper position and the person to be hung attached to either one of the rods 32 or 86, it is only necessary to set the clock mechanism at the time it is desired to hang the person, and upon this time being reached the arm 20 will be moved to release the lever 17 and latch 1 which will permit the spring 11 and the weight 12 to elevate the forward end of the arm 6.

I may find in practice that more than one spring 11 will be required to elevate persons heavier than others, and in which instance springs may be attached to the ends of the cross-bar 10, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. l.

1t is a well-known fact that in the majority of cases where persons have been hung their necks have been broken, and it is one of the objects of this invention to dispense with this that l have provided the resilient noose which after the person has been elevated will permit of the rebounding of the body and prevent the neck from being broken.

It is thought from the foregoing that the construction, operation, and advantages of the herein-described gallows will be apparent without further description, and various changes in the form, proportions, and minor said base, a cross-beam carried by said standards, an arm pivotally connected to said beam, one end of said arm being resiliently attached to said base, a resilient noose carried by the other end of said arm, means carried by said gallows to lock said armin a fixed position, and means to release said arm, said means consisting of a clock mechanism, substantially as described.

2. In a gallows, the combination with asuitable base, of an arm pivotally mounted above said base, the one end of said arm being resiliently connected to said base, a resilient noose carried by the other end of said arm, a latch adapted to engage said arm and retain the same in a fixed position, levers retaining said latch in a locked position, said levers being adapted to be actuated by a clock mechanism, to release said arm, substantially as described.

3. In a gallowsthe combination with a suitable base or support, of a pivoted arm, one end of said arm being resiliently attached to said base, a resilient noose carried by the other end of said arm, means to lock said arm in a fixed position, and means to release said arm, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. DAVIS. Witnesses:

E. E. POTTER, MARGUERITE W HITE. 

